Taylor Hendricks has the potential to be a foundational defensive presence for his future NBA team.
Taylor Hendricks entered his freshman season at Central Florida mostly off the radar. He certainly wasn't considered a one-and-done prospect. Flash forward a few months, and Hendricks is now expected to be a lottery pick in June. He has a lot of positive momentum, fitting the player archetype every team is craving in the modern era.
The quintessential 3-and-D player of the 2023 draft, Hendricks has obvious plug-and-play potential. He was central to everything the Knights did on both ends, guarding all areas of the floor and averaging 15.1 points per game on strong efficiency.
Don't be surprised if Hendricks' name continues to trend upward in the weeks to come. He might not have the sky-high offensive ceiling of his lottery counterparts, but it's hard to win in the NBA without an elite defense. Hendricks has the potential to reshape and elevate his team's entire scheme.
Taylor Hendricks NBA Draft profile
Height: 6-foot-9
Weight: 210 pounds
Birthdate: November 22, 2003
Position: Power Forward/Small Forward
Offensive Role: Spacer, play finisher
Defensive Role: Switchable wing/big
Projected Draft Range: 5-14
NBA Draft highlights
Strengths
Taylor Hendricks is the ideal modern defender. He has positional size at 6-foot-9, combined with excellent lateral mobility, springboard athleticism, and a singular nose for the ball. Very rarely are players actually able to guard 1-5. Hendricks probably can't handle the NBA's beefier post scorers, but he has small-ball five potential along with the ability to mirror ball-handlers on the perimeter or operate as a weak-side rim protector.
The freshman averaged 1.7 blocks per game for UCF. He displays tremendous instincts around the basket, rotating in a timely fashion and seldom getting caught out of position. He defends harder and smarter than your average 19-year-old. A rim protector of Hendricks' caliber who can also fight over screens and stifle ball-handlers at the top of the key is a rare gem.
Hendricks is already an excellent 3-point shooter. He shot 39.7 percent on 4.6 attempts at UCF. His mechanics are crisp and clean; he's one of the best shooters on the board, on top of being a game-altering defender. That alone should ensure lottery consideration.
On top of the shooting, Hendricks is a bouncy finisher who presents a real conundrum for opposing defenses in the pick-and-roll. He can pop out to the 3-point line or make himself available for finishes above the rim. He might lack self-creation ability, but Hendricks will complement his primary ball-handler at the next level.
Weaknesses
Hendricks has the baseline two-way skills to ensure success in the NBA. He's going to be a versatile defensive weapon and a plus-shooter. He doesn't need to do much more to deliver lottery value for his future team.
That said, teams like to swing for upside in the lottery. Hendricks is more of a floor pick than an upside pick; he's extremely limited off the dribble. He has potential as a straight-line driver attacking closeouts, but Hendricks lacks creative handles and the ability to consistently generate good looks on his own. He's also prone to simple decision-making mistakes. You can hear the gears turning as a passer sometimes.
As a finisher, Hendricks is more reliant on athleticism than on touch or craft. He will face new challenges against NBA-level rim protection in the paint. He won't be able to bully his way through smaller defenders in quite the same fashion. Hendricks will operate primarily as a spacer and play finisher, with room for development in between but a long way to go before he's more than a fourth or fifth option offensively.
Conclusion
There are some valid concerns about Hendricks' offensive ceiling due to his lack of playmaking ability. Players so harshly limited need the right supporting infrastructure in the NBA. Hendricks needs a team with an established playmaking engine and a strong foundation for ball movement and spacing.
On the other hand, Hendricks is basically the perfect modern defender. He can thrive on or off the ball; he makes plays and generates turnovers, he can switch every position in most matchups, and he competes his tail off. Every lottery team has to project toward the playoffs at some point. Hendricks is a playoff defender.
There's a reason Hendricks' name has been catching so much buzz lately — and all season, for that matter. It didn't take long for scouts to realize Hendricks was not only a one-and-done candidate, but maybe a top-10 pick with his unique blend of size, shooting, and defense. Plenty of lottery teams have elite playmakers to support Hendricks. Meanwhile, his spot-up shooting will support them. Every lottery prospect outside the top-2 has a fatal flaw of some kind. Don't be shocked if teams talk themselves out of an "upside" swing in favor of Hendricks' very solid foundation.
